Billiard or pool table.



` No. 7";030. Y Patented Oct. I4, |902. W. S. WICKHAM.

BILLIABD 0R POOL TABLE.

(Applcatioy. led Sept. 25, 1901.)

mi Nonrs Parzns co, PnoTaLxTumwAsmNnmN, D. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNrTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVILLIAM S. NVICKl-IAM, OF SALAMANCA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES VIOKHAM, OF SALAMANCA, NFV YORK. i

BILLIARD OR POOL TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,030, dated October 14, 1902.

Application filed September 25, 1901. Serial No. 76,469. (No model) I To @ZZ 'wh/0772, 'it 77H03/ concern:

Be it known that l, WILLIAM S. WICKHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salamanca, in the county of Oattaraugus and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Billiard or Pool Table, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus, and particularly to a Ifable convertible from 1o a billiard to a pool table, and vice versa; and

the aim and purpose of the same are to provide a simple and efficient combination-table having adjusting features and attachments pool-table, the device being longitudinallyv broken through the center. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the device shown arranged as a 3o billiard-table. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the table. Fig. 4 isa section through one of the cornersof the table on the line 4. et, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. l. Fig. Gis a horizontal section on the line G G, Fig. 3.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral l designates the bed of the 4o table, constructed of wood or any other suitable material or combination of materials and having an upper smooth surface which may be covered with suitable cloth or other material and surrounded by upstanding side rails 2 and end rails 8. The bed l is adapted to be supported by folding legs 4, having hinges 5 connected to their upper ends, the hinges being secured tothe under side of the bed by single bolts G, as clearly shown by 5o Fig. 3. The hinges of the legs are arranged at the inner faces of the upper ends of the latter,

so that the said legs can be folded inwardly, and io support the legs in immovable position when opened V-shaped folding braces 7 are employed and have the upper ends of their arms pivoted to the side and end rails or at other suitable points or portions of' the under side of the bed. The braces are also arranged to fold inwardly, and at the lower angular extremity of each is an outwardly- 6o directed stud 8 to removably engage an opening or socket 9 in the adjacent leg to maintain the connection betweenV the brace and leg. Each brace when in supporting position stands diagonally of the corner porlion of the table at which it is located, and the leg with which it operates is turned to permit the stud 8 to enter the opening or socket 9.' By this arrangement the legs will be prevented from accidentally folding or turning under the bed 7o by an endwise pressure or force applied in playing the games, because the hinge of each leg will be turned at an angle to theline of longitudinal pressure or force, as Will also be the brace, and the combined resistance set up by the hinge and brace will prevent the table as an entirety from falling or becoming irregularly arranged. The same is true of a pressure or force applied to the sides of the table and transversely of the bed, a like resistance to 8o movement of the legs when they are engaged by the braces being present, and by this adjustment and capability of movement of the legs, which is due to the use of the single conmeeting-bolts 6, the legs can be infolded to reduce the table to compact form and also serve as stable supports when let down and connected to the braces. Another advantage of the single-bolt connection for the hinges is that thelegs can be turned when detached from the go braces and infolded longitudinally of the bed without touching or bearing on each other,and thus form a considerably less projection than would exist if said legs folded diagonally orv crosswise. The legs are also supplied with simple means for leveling the table in the form of screw-Shanks 10, extending longitudinally into correspondingly-threaded sockets ll in the free ends of the legs, the Shanks projecting from spherical feet l2, which bear roo upon the surface or base on which the table is disposed.

The table can be accurately leveled by turning the feet 12, and as a convenient means of ascertaining when the table is perfectly level and true a side and an end rail are supplied with spirit or other suitable levels 13.

The sides and corners of the bed and rails are formed with the usual side and corner pockets 14 of pool-tables, the said pockets having the ordinary net bags 15 included in their organization. In addition to the pocket construction as ordinarily found in pool-tables the side pockets in the present instance have rods 16 connecting the upper portions of the cut side rails, the said rods each having a central upstanding catch in the form of a pin 17. Each pocket is also closely guarded by a pair of projecting members 18, one on each side of each pocket and having the faces nearest the pocket sloped toward the latter to provide an unobstructed entrance, the members being reduced toward their inner ends 19, which stand above the plane of the bed and serve as su pporting-abu tments for a purpose which will be now explained. Rubber or other suitable yielding or elastic cushions 2O are secured to the ends 19 by screws 2l, the cushions having slots 22 therein, which runparallel with the longitudinal direction of the side and end rails, the heads of the screws also having slots 23 therein, which are caused to exactly coincide with the slots 22. Theinnerendsoftheprojections'orabutments are all at equal distances from the rails and are at the center of the vertical extent of the said rails, the slots 22 and 23 being located at the longitudinal centers of the projecting members or abutments. The projecting members or abutments constructed and arranged as set forth serve to properly locate and support a cushion-strand 24, preferably formed of a steel wire of suitable gage covered with cloth. The complete cushion-strand is made up of four sections 25, 26, 27, and 2S, the one end section 25 and one side section 26 having the one terminal of each threaded through openings in the side and end rails, forming the backing for one corner-pocket and secured, and the one terminal of each of the sections 27 and 28 are threaded through similar openings and secured in the side and end rails forming the backing for the diagonally opposite corner-pocket, as clearly shown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The opposite terminals of the wires 25 and 28 are passed through the back of the corner-pocket nearest the corner-pocket where the terminals of the sections 25 and 26 are secured and engage winding posts 29 (clearly shown by Fig. 5) and which are vertically disposed and depend through the bottom sides of the rails for engagement by a key to thereby control the tension of the several Wire sections and take up the slack in the latter when found necessary. The openings in the rails through which the terminals of the Wire sections pass are located at the same plane above the upper surface of the bed 1 as the slots 22 and ing pool, the wire sections do not in the least obstruct entrance to the pockets, the sections 26 and 28 being primarily left slack enough to bevdrawn outwardly through the planes of the side pockets and secured or removably caught on the pins 17 of the rods 16.

When the table is arranged for playing bil` liards, the wire sections 26 and 28 are released from the pins 17, and the sections 25 and 27, which in the first arrangement were drawn tightly into the adjacent cushions 20,

l are slackened, and it is necessary to hold the sections clear of the cushions to close out the pockets. For this purpose bridge-arms 30 are employed and located within the confines of each corner-pocket, one arm being used in each pocket. These arms consist in each instance of a doubled twisted Wire strand provided with an outer eye 31, engaginga staple 32 or the like in the corner of the pocket and at the same elevation above the plane of the upper surface of the bed as the slots 22 and 23 or the longitudinal centers of the ends 19 of the projecting members or abutments. The inner terminals of the wire, from which each bridge-arm is constructed, are divergently arranged and bent downwardly to form hooks 33, which are caught over the portions of the wire sections adjacent to the location thereof when the arm in each instance is arranged horizontally. To hold up the bridgearms, brace-arms 34 are employed and are also each formed from a doubled twisted strand of wire and provided with an eye 35 at its inner end, movably held by an eye 36 at the center of the arcuate opening formed in the corner of the bed, to assist in the construction of the corner-pocket, the opposite end of the brace being formed with a fork 37. When the several bridge-arms are arranged to have the hooks at their inner ends engage the wire sections adjacent thereto, the brace-arms are raised to a perpendicular or nearly perpendicular position, and the forked ends of said brace-arms are caused to embrace the bridgearms, close to the inner hooks of the latter, as clearly shown by Fig. 4, and thereby the bridge-arms will be prevented from being pulled down out of proper holding position and effectually support the wire sections and provide an inner cushion-strand which will close out the pockets and arrange the table for playing billiards. It will be seen that the hooks at the inner ends of the bridge-arms are so disposed that the wire sections engaged thereby may be tightened by operating the winding-posts 29 without injury to the sections, and during such operation and also at IOO IIO

other times vthe wire sections will be prel prisiugabed having corner and side pockets vented from becoming disengaged by accident from the hooks of the bridge-arms by the forks of the brace-arms which are located close to said hooks. Vhen the table is arranged for playing pool, the bridge and brace arms are released and fall into the pockets out of the way, and when in this position said parts do not offer the least resistance or obstruction to entrance of the balls into the pockets.

The cloth-covered wire cushion-strand provides a noiseless device against which the balls strike, and in playing the two games for which the table is adapted to be used the requisite number and kind of balls will be used and shot with cues, as usual. Other devices will also be furnished in connection with the table to accommodate players in arranging for different kinds of pool, and the upper surface of the table will be spotted in the usual manner.

It will be seen that the combination-table is exceedingly simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction and that it is adapted to be readily arranged to form either a billiard or pool table. The improved device is also adapted to be used as a toy or in enlarged form as an ordinary pool or billiard table and in either construction may be compactly folded when not in use. It is also obvious that changes in the form, size, proportions and minor details may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A combination pool and billiard table comprising a rectangular bed having side and end rails and provided with corner and side pockets, a cushion strand held above the plane of the bed, and means for adjusting said cushion-strand to form a continuous rail around the table or to extend into the pockets to form a series of rails.

2. A table of the class set forth comprising a rectangular bed having side and end rails and provided with corner and side pockets, a cushion-strand held above the plane of the bed and extending in alinement with the side and end rails, terminal holding devices connected to said cushion-strand within the lines of the corner-pockets, means for detachably engagingintermediate portions of the strand at the side pockets, and auxiliary means for taking up the slack when the strand is disconnected from the intermediate engaging means.

3. A table of the class set forth, comprising a bed having corner-pockets and intermediate side pockets, catch devices in the pockets, and a cushion-strand adapted to have portions thereof engaged by said catch devices, thereby to form guides to the pockets or to form closures for said pockets.

4. In a device of the class specified, comdisposed below the surface of the bed, a strand forming a cushion, and devices for holding and for adjusting said strand to form either a continuous rail or a rail provided with pockets. i

5. A table of the class set forth, comprising a bed having corner and side pockets below the surface of the bed,spacingblocks extending inwardly from the opposite sides of the table and disposed one on each side of each pocket and inclining in the direction of the pockets, cushions disposed on the inner ends of said spacing-blocks, and a cushion-strand arranged above the plane of the bed and in engagement with said cushions.

6. Atable of the class set forth comprising abed having corner and side pockets, projecting members on opposite sides of the pockets having cushions at their inner ends with slot-s therein, and a cushion-strand arranged above the plane of the bed and adapted to be placed in engagement with the slots in the cushions.

7. A table of the class set forth comprising a bed having corner and side pockets, projecting members on opposite sides of the pockets having cushions at their inner ends with slots therein, securing devices for said cushions having heads with slots therein coinciding with the slots of the said cushions, and acushion-strand arranged above the plane of the bed and adapted to be placed in engagement with the slots in the cushions and the heads Vof the securing devices.

8. A table of the class set forth comprising a bed having corner and side pockets, projecting members on opposite sides of the pockets, a cushion-strand arranged above the plane of the bed and adapted to engage said projecting members, and devices Within and adjacent to the pockets for holding portions of the said strand to clear the pockets.

9. A table of the class set forth comprising a bed having pockets, a cushion-strand arranged above the plane of the bed, movable bridge devices in a part of the pockets for engaging portions of the strand and thereby prevent entrance to the pockets, and means for supporting said bridge devices.

10. Atable of the class set forth comprising a bed having pockets, a cushion-strand arranged above the plane of the bed, movable bridge devices in a part of the pockets for engaging and holding portions of the strand and thereby prevent entrance to the pockets, and a supporting-brace for said bridge.

l1. A table of the class set forth comprising a bed having pockets, a cushion-strand arranged above the plane of the bed, and bridge devices movably mounted in fixed locations in a part of the pockets for engagement with portions of the strand,the bridge devices when not in use being permitted to depend into the pockets.

12. A table of the class set forth comprising a bed having pockets, a cushion-strand arranged above the plane of the bed, bridge- KOO IIO

transverse lines ofthe table, and V-shaped braces having their open ends hinged to different points on the table and adapted to engage with openings in said legs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. WICKHAM. i Witnesses:

M. J. Frrz MORRIS, H. M. GRovEs. 

